Secret Apprentice
by ReplicaRiku'sgirl
Summary: Masked youth was fulfilling Master's orders when he came across a child. He took an interest of this girl but there's a problem: his Master must not ever know about her existence.
1. Prologue

The masked boy heads straight to a world that has a castle full of light. There, a blonde maiden has full of light while doing lowly jobs he never thought was possible. Along the light maiden were two girls who are rather unattractive and an old woman who seeks high status. The boy peers closer and could see darkness in their hearts, the darkness of jealousy and greed. Their negativity will feed them, his Unversed. He decided to let his minions loose. **"Keep an eye on these residents." **_"Yes Master."_ They responded. He continued on for nine other worlds, each Unversed suitable to the world's environment. Just as his Master planned, Ventus follows after the eldest Keyblade wielder. He began to monitor Ventus while training himself to master a certain move. His other half sees he does not have a chance to pursue him as the distance was getting too far and took the nearest world. One caught his attention and it wasn't his lighter half's so-called friends. He opened a corridor to darkness to investigate.


	2. Ch 1 First Meeting Impressions

_**N/A: Sorry the prologue is too short. I'll make it longer, I promise. **_

* * *

_**One caught his attention and it wasn't his lighter half's so-called friends. He opened a corridor to darkness to investigate.**_

* * *

He hunted down this stranger. The world the stranger lives in is called Radiant Garden. He could sense light in this world. Master is here, too, so he has to be careful approaching this stranger without exposing himself. There, what he found completely surprised him. A tyke taking on his Unversed with its bare hands. The tyke has short black hair and grey eyes. Vanitas watches as the child grabs one Flood and it made contact with Red Hot Chili. Black and blue smoke replaced where it stood while the blue Unversed remained standing. He sees one hand on fire but as he peers closer the tyke is actually controlling it. Unversed saw it as a threat and did whatever means necessary to knock the child unconscious or put out the fire. He took over the situation by commanding Chrono Trigger to cast Stopra. Somehow it knew what to do and became mobilized. It scans outside of battlefield as it's looking for something out of ordinary. It's eyes laid on him in a glare manner. _**'Smaller than Ventus and could handle them without a Keyblade.' **_He thought, impressed. A Blue Sea Salt froze it to the bone and commanded two to three Scrappers push the frozen being to him. He inwardly smirked, knowing he won.

He waited patiently for the block melt away. Little bit of wisps of darkness returns back him and he could identify it as his Mad Treant and Ventus's power on it, which means Ventus took it out. Little kid shivered violently but the eyes remain unwavering as a firm, heated glare. Once the hand was melted, it speeds up the process by using fire magic. "I knew it." **"Knew what?" **"These are too different to be Heartless." He was drawn to this child but he couldn't figure out why. If it had to do with light, he would have sensed it. He would have to file this away for now. **"Correct. They are not Heartless. These are Unversed."**

A glowing purple jar wanders over to them. The child's face brightened, leaving him forgotten, and puts a hand out. Normally he didn't like being ignored but he knew this is a better method to observe this stranger's nature. It turns and drops Soy Milk into its hands. "Thank you!" It calls. _**'**__**How odd,' **_he thought, _**'usually my Unversed fights, but this one handed a gift.' **_It 'dances' while watching the young one drinking it happily. Once it was done, it petted it. _**"I want an explanation." **_He demanded. _"Young one treated us properly and we keep gving youngling treats." _It spoke on the behalf of its species. He remained still and it is making his Unversed worried. He dismissed them all and they reluctantly obeyed.

* * *

To say the masked boy is stunned would be the understatement. No, he was beyond furious! A child that is about four years old took out two in one day and befriended one of the most useless Unversed in combat. It defies his reasoning what is one capable of. But... the Prize Pot knows more than it's letting on. Rest of them are on the same page, all except him. Somehow Vanitas is getting a massive headache from a kid. _**'Ventus better give me a good fight as Master praises him.' **_He walks away from the child. The child didn't pay any attention to his departure and happily watches two more Prize Pots appear where the first one stood and 'dances' in front of it. Meanwhile, Vanitas returns back to his world while holding his head. All he could do now is monitor and wait for Ventus to see if he has grown stronger. Unfortunately, his Master returns back as well. "What seems to be the problem?" **"Just a headache, nothing more Master."** He knew his Master doesn't look convinced. "Don't let it interfere our plans." He nodded.

**"Ventus took out his first Unversed." **He didn't look convinced. "Good. Make sure he keeps it up." And with that, the master leaves his apprentice alone. Vanitas growls lowly to himself. Ventus is all Master ever talks about. He can see through those golden eyes from the way Master looks at him as a tool, not the prized pupil. Ventus was the one who left, he shouldn't be the one Master cares about.

Back to the child, he found it intriguing that this one could handle like everyday training. He made a decision to visit this child again.

* * *

_**A/N: I'm using all names, terms, and titles as it is in Japanese to make things easier on myself. I'll let you know which one changed when it was dubbed into English as the story progresses. Although these were unnamed, Prize Pot became Prize Pod.**_


	3. Ch 2 Wind vs Emptiness and Inheritence

_**Back to the child, he found it intriguing that this one could handle like everyday training. He made a decision to visit this child again.**_

* * *

Finally, his lighter half is done for the time being. In the corridor of darkness, he notices his rider right away as one that have to ride sideways. The last thing he wants is for that boy to meet his friends after that encounter. He put his weight on one side to throw the naive boy off. He turned around and smirked before heading towards Keyblade Graveyard. He knew right away he will pursue after him. "Where'd that guy go? I know he's around here somewhere." Vanitas merely watched the runt of a keyblade wielder search around for him. **_'Hmph. He's not even able to sense darkness yet. I can't believe Xehanort even bothered to waste his time on him.'_** "What did he mean by Terra won't be himself? He'll never change!" He rolled his eyes at the stubbornness of his opponent. **"Are you that stupid, you imbecile? Terra will change and he will never be as you know him to be ever again."** Once he heard his voice, his back stiffened and turns around. "Terra's stronger than that." **"Well, we'll see if that is true or not, won't we?"**He held out his hand and summoned his keyblade. "Keyblade?" After realization the masked boy poses as a danger, he summoned his own. Vanitas bent his knees slightly in his battle stance. **"Good that you at least know how to summon your keyblade. Let's see if you're really the weakling you appear to be."**The blonde keyblade wielder knew he is provoking him but goes on defense instead. He chuckled before he dashed towards him, keyblade raised. He attempted to dodge roll away from the oncoming threat, but to no avail. The dark keyblade wielder grinned beneath his mask as the two-hit combo he performed on his opponent easily knocked him down.

**"Hmph. Is that all you've got, you runt?"** The masked boy taunted to his foe. He tries to get up but unable to do so. **"What to do with you now?" **He wondered aloud while pacing back and forth.** "There are those orders Master gave me, but I see no further use for you."**He held his keyblade up and gathered a ball of energy at the tip. He notices Ventus' hair moves from energy he was forming before he shot the ball of energy at the weakened boy. A small creature appears from light and saved boy from oncoming attack. "Gosh, you are safe." A high-pitched voice said in relieved voice. He turned his head towards the creature who saved his prey. He could sense that there was something special about this new opponent besides its bizarre appearance. The creature summoned a keyblade and cried, "Heal!" **_'This is going to be interesting.'_** He thought. The mouse-like creature turns around to face him, pointing his keyblade at him. "Tell me why you have a keyblade. They are not meant for you to hurt people!" He didn't answer as he kept his attention on his first opponent. Ventus gets up and notices strange creature against the one he was fighting earlier. "I'll fight ya!" The squeaky voice cried. **"Hmph. A lot of people want to die today."** He commented as he got into his battle stance. "Let's do it together!" Both of them turn and nod before facing back to their common opponent.

He skipped any further talk and leaped into the air before sending dark electricity at them. The stranger is making a ball full of light energy and Ventus assists him. Both of them jump up and go back to back as they shoot light around them. He growled softly and attempted to escape from the light as they kept on spinning. He eventually managed to leap out of the circle of light. Both of them broke away and the stranger goes after the masked boy. He ignored the strange creature as much as possible as he focused on Ventus. He shoots fire at him. He appeared to freeze in place, but he really went into a small portal of darkness. His trained eye notices this and dodge rolls away. He cleaved the air in two where he used to be before straightening back up. He throws his keyblade at him. He avoided it by ducking quickly. The blond growls to himself softly. He shot a single fireball from his keyblade, which soon split into five others. The runt starts dodge rolling once more. He watched as the fireballs quickly homed in on him. He blocks but it shatters on him. He followed it up by dashing towards him and hitting him with a combo, which the whelp rolls away from. He cartwheeled away to put more distance between them. The blonde wielder uses cura on himself. He rushed at him. Ventus casts fire again. He growled as it managed to hit him. The weakest of them casts aero. He felt the air rip at his skin as though it was a weapon itself. He throws his keyblade at him before his feet could touch the ground. The blow knocked him sprawling on the ground. The creature is doing light thing again and joins him. After getting up, the final burst of light knocked him onto his back and he lay there on the ground.

Both of them stopped and lower their guard. He remained still for a while then used the middle of his back and his hands to get to his feet. Both of them were back on guard but he had no means to go for another round. **"Alright, you win this time. But you still have many ordeals to go." **He backed up into a portal of darkness. "What's up with him?" He heard Ventus wonder to himself before the darkness swallowed him up completely.

* * *

He ended up in the Land of Departure. After a quick scan, he realized Master was in Radiant Garden. **"The whelp is stronger than I thought." **He commented to himself before he decided to go see what Master was doing. Meanwhile, the child sleeps with a blanket covering its body. He wandered around as Unversed popped up around him. It opens its grey eyes and goes outside despite its body's protest. He sent a few Floods out to scout around. It keeps going, manage to go outside of the building and outside of castle's gates. One of the Floods found a child wandering about. It waited patiently, knowing the leader is here. It grabbed the child and took it back to its master. The child blinks at it carrying it, not expecting it to carry such heavy weight for its size. It set it down by its master. He picked up the Unversed in question. It hurriedly explained how the child didn't fear them. It glances between the two of them, waiting for the leader's decision. He focused on the child. This time it is wearing beaten up jeans that have seen better years and a regular shirt with feminine long sleeves, much to the owner's distaste. **_'Probably ruin it on purpose,'_** he thought. **"Why don't you fear the Unversed like everyone else?"** "I don't see them as something to fear but more of a challenge." **"Hm. Tell me, do you have anyone to care for you?" **"No." **_'So it's used to doing this,'_** he thought to himself,**_ 'and it'll be more inclined to come with me if it's of enough use.'_** He turned his attention back to it. **"How many Unversed have you taken down?"** "In the thirties." **"And this is all unarmed?"** It nodded. **"I could probably get you a decent weapon to use." **He knelt down in front of it and held up his hand before summoning his keyblade. It looks at the strange weapon in admiration, especially the light blue orb with a cat-like slits. He remembered overhearing a childish rhyme when he was training in the Land of Departure one day and repeated it. **"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking... its wielder you shall one day be."** He watched as its tiny little hand reaches out inches from touching it. **"Go ahead." **He said in what he thought would be a softer tone than he usually used. It touches the hilt. **"Good."** It looks up with confusion. He ruffled its hair to distract it from asking further questions. It pouted. Remembering what he came here for, he stood up. "Leaving already?" **"I have my Master to find and an opponent to face."** He told it cryptically. "You better come back. I want to know what you are doing." **"And what will you do if I don't?"** He asked with slight amusement in his voice. "Freeze your Unversed." One of the Floods merged back with him out of fear and he rolled his eyes beneath his mask. "Are you saying I can't?" **"No, just annoyed with some of my subordinates." **

It grins and turns to the remaining Unversed. It walks over to them. They looked at it curiously. It summons ice in its hand and runs through them.

He headed off to go find Xehanort, not concerned with the loss of some of the least-useful Unversed. Confusion crossed his face as he sensed Master's darkness tamer than usual, as though it was restricted. He decided he could take care of himself and left the area. He found another of Ventus's friends wandering about. He walked into the blue-haired woman's path. He grinned beneath his mask as he summoned his keyblade.


End file.
